We are at a local library in Strängnäs, Sweden which has internet access. I only have seven minutes left, but I thought I'd throw out a quick hello.
We are staying in a little house/cabin in Logarn, which is only a 12 or so minute drive from Strängnäs. The lake is beautiful to swim in, but the last few days we've had a lot of rain. So far we've picked wild blueberries (Blaubeern) and made blueberry waffles and ice cream, gone swimming in the lake, played at a park, and killed hundreds of mosquitos and evil flies that bite called "Bremser" or something like that. I have what feels like innumerable bug bites, and when Simon gets bitten they get huge and swollen... poor kid :(
What is also poor is that the screaming hasn't lessened. Frank and Esther say that it is more than usual, so at least I hopefully don't have this to look forward to for the whole year. Even just in the car coming here, Sara screamed as LOUD as she could because I sat next to her in the car and not her mother. Her mother said she would have to deal with it, and so the screaming got louder. While she didn't end up getting her way, Sara was given a ton of sympathy and attention which does not teach her that screaming is ineffective.
40 seconds to go, talk to you in the future (not in the pasture!)
LG,
~Julia~
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Es ist genau gleich ein Fahrrad reiten
Yesterday, I successfully rode a bicycle.
Huzzah!!
Frank was able to lower the seat as far as it could go, and then I used the curb side to boost myself up so I could actually peddle. Upside: I can now take the kids places if we need to go somewhere and have overcome a personal shortcoming. Downside: they don't wear helmets and my butt hurts so bad it's out of control. Either Germans are gluttons for pain or my back side is overly sensitive, but either way that bike seat has got to go. I told Frank I would buy a new one if need be, because I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get back on that thing as it is. I rode the bike yesterday and I'm still sore today! I haven't inspected, but I wouldn't be surprised to find a bruise or two...
Yesterday we spent the afternoon with Esther's cousin and her family in Bremen. She has three boys, Benjamin 12 (Ben-jah-meen, or Ben-ee), Sebastian 9, and Kristian 5. They are little dare-devils who kept Sara u. Simon in awe for hours. Sara u. Simon are 4 and (almost) 3, so to be around older kids is super cool :) Simon said "Sie sind grosse!!" with a huge smile on his face. The day before we went to Olantis, a multi-pool family arena, and he was equally in awe of all the "big boys" he saw there. Anyway, we arrived around 1:30 and didn't get home until 10:30... I'm pretty sure I went to bed before the kids did...
So, wie sagt Mann "My allergies are making me miserable" auf Deutsch?
Backstory:
We had a bit of a misunderstanding when I left for Germany regarding the status of my allergy med. prescription. I told my parents it was ready to pick up, and then later saw a bottle on my counter. Without even reading it, I assumed it was my Allegra so I packed it. Until two days ago, I have been taking it nightly... the first few days it rained, so the allergens were supressed and everything was fine. Two days ago, however, the sun came out and brought my allergies with it. I was feeling it so I went to my room to take another pill, and as I opened the bottle I (for the first time) looked properly at it. It said it was for Allegra-D, which is no longer what I'm supposed to take (now it's just the Allegra, minus the D). I thought "Dang it, I told Mom and Dad to just get the normal Allegra!" and then it occured to me... the bottle was from Econofoods in Northfield, not from Sav-on in Boise. I opened the bottle and looked at the pills, and realized that instead of Allegra I had been taking Provigil, a pill meant to help wake you up in the morning. The pills look identical, and since the bottle is so big I had moved the Provigil pills into the Allegra-D container more than a year ago. I think my Dad found it and set it on my counter. I, seeing the appearance of a pill bottle, assumed it was my filled prescription. So instead of Allegra, I've been taking an upper every night before going to bed. Scheisse.
Frank also has allergies, so he offered to let me try what he uses- both drops and tablets. Neither are helpful, so today we went to the Apotheke (pharmacy- separate from the grocery stores) to see if they had any stronger allergy medications. Apparently, they can't give me anything stronger without a prescription. However, we're going to Sweden in the morning (I'm supposed to wake up in... 5 hours? Awesome) and won't be back until August 2nd. I spoke with my liebe Freund, Daniel (from Olaf), who is in Sweden and he said that his allergies are also kicking his butt. Moral: it's going to be a very looong two weeks.
Speaking of Daniel, I get to see him next weekend! YESSS!! I'm SO excited. It would be good to see any familiar face right now, but to get to see someone I care so much about is ganz toll!! Es gefaellt mir :)
I won't have internet in Sweden, so ttfn- ta ta for now!
LG,
~Julia~
Huzzah!!
Frank was able to lower the seat as far as it could go, and then I used the curb side to boost myself up so I could actually peddle. Upside: I can now take the kids places if we need to go somewhere and have overcome a personal shortcoming. Downside: they don't wear helmets and my butt hurts so bad it's out of control. Either Germans are gluttons for pain or my back side is overly sensitive, but either way that bike seat has got to go. I told Frank I would buy a new one if need be, because I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get back on that thing as it is. I rode the bike yesterday and I'm still sore today! I haven't inspected, but I wouldn't be surprised to find a bruise or two...
Yesterday we spent the afternoon with Esther's cousin and her family in Bremen. She has three boys, Benjamin 12 (Ben-jah-meen, or Ben-ee), Sebastian 9, and Kristian 5. They are little dare-devils who kept Sara u. Simon in awe for hours. Sara u. Simon are 4 and (almost) 3, so to be around older kids is super cool :) Simon said "Sie sind grosse!!" with a huge smile on his face. The day before we went to Olantis, a multi-pool family arena, and he was equally in awe of all the "big boys" he saw there. Anyway, we arrived around 1:30 and didn't get home until 10:30... I'm pretty sure I went to bed before the kids did...
So, wie sagt Mann "My allergies are making me miserable" auf Deutsch?
Backstory:
We had a bit of a misunderstanding when I left for Germany regarding the status of my allergy med. prescription. I told my parents it was ready to pick up, and then later saw a bottle on my counter. Without even reading it, I assumed it was my Allegra so I packed it. Until two days ago, I have been taking it nightly... the first few days it rained, so the allergens were supressed and everything was fine. Two days ago, however, the sun came out and brought my allergies with it. I was feeling it so I went to my room to take another pill, and as I opened the bottle I (for the first time) looked properly at it. It said it was for Allegra-D, which is no longer what I'm supposed to take (now it's just the Allegra, minus the D). I thought "Dang it, I told Mom and Dad to just get the normal Allegra!" and then it occured to me... the bottle was from Econofoods in Northfield, not from Sav-on in Boise. I opened the bottle and looked at the pills, and realized that instead of Allegra I had been taking Provigil, a pill meant to help wake you up in the morning. The pills look identical, and since the bottle is so big I had moved the Provigil pills into the Allegra-D container more than a year ago. I think my Dad found it and set it on my counter. I, seeing the appearance of a pill bottle, assumed it was my filled prescription. So instead of Allegra, I've been taking an upper every night before going to bed. Scheisse.
Frank also has allergies, so he offered to let me try what he uses- both drops and tablets. Neither are helpful, so today we went to the Apotheke (pharmacy- separate from the grocery stores) to see if they had any stronger allergy medications. Apparently, they can't give me anything stronger without a prescription. However, we're going to Sweden in the morning (I'm supposed to wake up in... 5 hours? Awesome) and won't be back until August 2nd. I spoke with my liebe Freund, Daniel (from Olaf), who is in Sweden and he said that his allergies are also kicking his butt. Moral: it's going to be a very looong two weeks.
Speaking of Daniel, I get to see him next weekend! YESSS!! I'm SO excited. It would be good to see any familiar face right now, but to get to see someone I care so much about is ganz toll!! Es gefaellt mir :)
I won't have internet in Sweden, so ttfn- ta ta for now!
LG,
~Julia~
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Die Kinder wie immer Schreien.
First of all, I realize that these are pretty long and it takes patience to get through... so if you don't make it to the end, I understand. If you DO make it through it all, I salute you.
So about two hours after I went to bed last night, I awoke to the shrieks of Sara. After several minutes of waiting for it to go away or for her mother to come, I came to a few conclusions: a) Esther was either still sleeping or choosing to ignore Sarah, and b) poor Simon was no more than four yards away from his wailing sister and would soon experience hearing loss... so I went to see what was wrong.
When Sara saw me, she was not calmed. In fact, I may have given her screams a little boost. I knelt beside her bed and began to rub her back while whispering "shhhh." She yelled "DU BIST NICHT MAMA! MAMA KOMMT! MAMA KOOOOOMMT!" and progressed to swing her entire lower body in my direction (which, I'm sure to her shagrin, had little effect since she weighs no more than forty pounds and had bad leverage.) I continued to rub her back (while restricting her legs) and when there was a small pause in her cries, said "Was ist los, Sara?" Good news- it reignighted her screams. After a minute or two of this, I finally said "Okay, ich werde gehen" and went back to my room.
Sara continued to scream, but stopped after a minute or two. Besides an occassional whimper, she was impressively silent for (what I guestimate to be) around 10 minutes. At that point, she tried shrieking again, but quickly gave up.
I asked Esther (and Frank when he got home tonight) why she cries, and they both say it appears to be for no reason. Occassionally, she has bad dreams... but otherwise, wir alle haben keine ahnung.
Sara cried this morning because she didn't want to get dressed.
She cried at lunch because her mother wouldn't let her put copious amounts of cinnamon-sugar on her milsch reis.
She cried at the end of lunch when, after he mother counted to three and she still refused to obey, her mother said we would not be going to visit ponies.
But the good news is that the pony incident was the last of the crying for the day... well, she woke up again briefly tonight, but it was very brief and not neeeearly as loud. Plus her dad was home and could calm her. And a shriek or two when she and Simon forgot how to share toys. But besides that, kein mal.
It is REALLY hard to reason with a child when you don't speak the same language. I mean, I'm pretty sure Sara would be equally as challenging to reason with regardless, but I'd at least like a fair fight!
Honestly though, even though it can feel like they scream all the time, they are such lovey kids the rest of the time! And the rest of the time occurs more often than the screaming - it's just not as loud, and thus not as distinct. I can name all the times the kids cry, but I can't name all the times they snuggle with me or laugh with me or want to play with me. Truly, they are perhaps the best little snugglers ever :)
I know it's only been three days, but dang it- I want my German to be better NOW! I know that I'm growing - in hindsight - but in the present, it feels like I am only using my old German skills and not developing new ones. I know that isn't true, but it is just so frustrating when I can only say so many things and rearrange words in so many ways to sound new.
Today we went to the library and rented a couple movies I've seen before, in hopes that it will help me understand it better in German. Two problems here: first of all, the language moves SO fast that I truly can barely hear a word they say; and second, the subtitles (also auf Deutsch) are probably less than half of what they're actually saying so it's impossible to try and match the words I see with the words I hear, besides the fact that the subtitles have to move quickly with the speech so I don't even have time to read the subtitles, let alone understand!! I tried to find movies I knew really well, and then I gave the stack to Esther to choose from. Unfortunately, they didn't have Wayne's World- I could quote that thing back and forth! Also unfortunately, Esther chose "Runaway Bride" which I like, but am not on a "I quote this movie in my every day conversation" basis with. I caught some actual phrases they said here and there, but if I didn't know the basic plot of the film there's no way I would've kept up. I think we should try Disney... I'm pretty sure there are only a few I haven't seen and the rest I've seen a hundred times (plus, childrens movies should be simpler... right?!)
We also went to a shopping center since I forgot closed-toed shoes (besides a pair of winter boots and some cute boots that really do nothing to keep out water or cold). Seeing as I will soon be on close terms with rain, good shoes are a must. Also, I bought my first ever rain jacket. I have never owned a rain jacket before. Usually if it rains I either don't go outside or move as fast as I can and deal with wet clothes. With shoes and jackets, I had to establish my size since they are not like in America. Fun fact: my shoe size is 39 and while a size 42 jacket is maaaaybe okay, I should really have a 44 or 46. Good for the ego? Nicht so viel.
Please pray that God will help me to embrace the parenting methods of Frank and Esther. I am used to dealing with kids very differently than it seems they are, and I don't want to be judgmental. I don't think I am on the outside, and it isn't that I am feeling tense or angry or superior on the inside... after all, I'm NOT a parent and don't know anything close to what it's like. I just know how I am used to handling bad behavior, and find it hard that it is not similar to the practice of the household. I think of what would happen if Sofie screamed like either of these kids, and while she had her tantrums (which is typical for kids, it's not unusual and shouldn't be seen as bad parenting)... I know Mrs. Aspaas would put it to a quick end. But then I realize that because it is in the nature of how the Aspaas' parent, Sofie would most likely never scream like Sara or Simon... making it a pretty useless mental analogy.
Anyway, please pray that I will properly accept, appreciate, and enforce the parenting style of Frank and Esther, and that I will not constantly be thinking that I know a better solution.
LG,
~Julia~
So about two hours after I went to bed last night, I awoke to the shrieks of Sara. After several minutes of waiting for it to go away or for her mother to come, I came to a few conclusions: a) Esther was either still sleeping or choosing to ignore Sarah, and b) poor Simon was no more than four yards away from his wailing sister and would soon experience hearing loss... so I went to see what was wrong.
When Sara saw me, she was not calmed. In fact, I may have given her screams a little boost. I knelt beside her bed and began to rub her back while whispering "shhhh." She yelled "DU BIST NICHT MAMA! MAMA KOMMT! MAMA KOOOOOMMT!" and progressed to swing her entire lower body in my direction (which, I'm sure to her shagrin, had little effect since she weighs no more than forty pounds and had bad leverage.) I continued to rub her back (while restricting her legs) and when there was a small pause in her cries, said "Was ist los, Sara?" Good news- it reignighted her screams. After a minute or two of this, I finally said "Okay, ich werde gehen" and went back to my room.
Sara continued to scream, but stopped after a minute or two. Besides an occassional whimper, she was impressively silent for (what I guestimate to be) around 10 minutes. At that point, she tried shrieking again, but quickly gave up.
I asked Esther (and Frank when he got home tonight) why she cries, and they both say it appears to be for no reason. Occassionally, she has bad dreams... but otherwise, wir alle haben keine ahnung.
Sara cried this morning because she didn't want to get dressed.
She cried at lunch because her mother wouldn't let her put copious amounts of cinnamon-sugar on her milsch reis.
She cried at the end of lunch when, after he mother counted to three and she still refused to obey, her mother said we would not be going to visit ponies.
But the good news is that the pony incident was the last of the crying for the day... well, she woke up again briefly tonight, but it was very brief and not neeeearly as loud. Plus her dad was home and could calm her. And a shriek or two when she and Simon forgot how to share toys. But besides that, kein mal.
It is REALLY hard to reason with a child when you don't speak the same language. I mean, I'm pretty sure Sara would be equally as challenging to reason with regardless, but I'd at least like a fair fight!
Honestly though, even though it can feel like they scream all the time, they are such lovey kids the rest of the time! And the rest of the time occurs more often than the screaming - it's just not as loud, and thus not as distinct. I can name all the times the kids cry, but I can't name all the times they snuggle with me or laugh with me or want to play with me. Truly, they are perhaps the best little snugglers ever :)
I know it's only been three days, but dang it- I want my German to be better NOW! I know that I'm growing - in hindsight - but in the present, it feels like I am only using my old German skills and not developing new ones. I know that isn't true, but it is just so frustrating when I can only say so many things and rearrange words in so many ways to sound new.
Today we went to the library and rented a couple movies I've seen before, in hopes that it will help me understand it better in German. Two problems here: first of all, the language moves SO fast that I truly can barely hear a word they say; and second, the subtitles (also auf Deutsch) are probably less than half of what they're actually saying so it's impossible to try and match the words I see with the words I hear, besides the fact that the subtitles have to move quickly with the speech so I don't even have time to read the subtitles, let alone understand!! I tried to find movies I knew really well, and then I gave the stack to Esther to choose from. Unfortunately, they didn't have Wayne's World- I could quote that thing back and forth! Also unfortunately, Esther chose "Runaway Bride" which I like, but am not on a "I quote this movie in my every day conversation" basis with. I caught some actual phrases they said here and there, but if I didn't know the basic plot of the film there's no way I would've kept up. I think we should try Disney... I'm pretty sure there are only a few I haven't seen and the rest I've seen a hundred times (plus, childrens movies should be simpler... right?!)
We also went to a shopping center since I forgot closed-toed shoes (besides a pair of winter boots and some cute boots that really do nothing to keep out water or cold). Seeing as I will soon be on close terms with rain, good shoes are a must. Also, I bought my first ever rain jacket. I have never owned a rain jacket before. Usually if it rains I either don't go outside or move as fast as I can and deal with wet clothes. With shoes and jackets, I had to establish my size since they are not like in America. Fun fact: my shoe size is 39 and while a size 42 jacket is maaaaybe okay, I should really have a 44 or 46. Good for the ego? Nicht so viel.
Please pray that God will help me to embrace the parenting methods of Frank and Esther. I am used to dealing with kids very differently than it seems they are, and I don't want to be judgmental. I don't think I am on the outside, and it isn't that I am feeling tense or angry or superior on the inside... after all, I'm NOT a parent and don't know anything close to what it's like. I just know how I am used to handling bad behavior, and find it hard that it is not similar to the practice of the household. I think of what would happen if Sofie screamed like either of these kids, and while she had her tantrums (which is typical for kids, it's not unusual and shouldn't be seen as bad parenting)... I know Mrs. Aspaas would put it to a quick end. But then I realize that because it is in the nature of how the Aspaas' parent, Sofie would most likely never scream like Sara or Simon... making it a pretty useless mental analogy.
Anyway, please pray that I will properly accept, appreciate, and enforce the parenting style of Frank and Esther, and that I will not constantly be thinking that I know a better solution.
LG,
~Julia~
Friday, July 10, 2009
a mental language scramble
I've noticed that when I try to speak in German, I tend to have English running through my head... which is normal. However, whenever I'm thinking in English in my head, I'm constantly trying to translate it to German! I have a Sudoku book, and as I'm writing I'm thinking "Ok, ich muss ein sieben und ein drei haben..." It can get pretty frustrating, and when I get frustrated I tend to tense up my jaw. I don't grind it (a la meiner Bruder), but I clench it. Es tut mir leid.
Today Sara and Simon each had a friend over, Finia and Alexander. Sara and Simon play well together, but when two other kids entered the mix, I saw Sara's older sister dominance start to come out - along with Simon's little brother whining. I mean, it isn't that either of them were brats, not by any means. It was just very typical sibling behavior. Although, I had forgotten that when kids are this young, they are not yet embarrassed to make a fuss in front of company. And their friends may have felt awkward, but I'm pretty sure they mostly just entertained themselves in the meantime.
When Esther went to take the kids out of the bath this evening, Simon FREAKED. OUT. I mean, full out screamed for NO LESS than 15 minutes. Honestly. After a few minutes, I went to see what was wrong and apparently he just wanted to play in the water. That's it. He screamed at the top of his lungs because he wanted to be in the tub. Aren't there kids who hate baths? And yet this kid can't get enough. After I stood there for a few minutes, I took Sara to their room and began to read her a book called "Geromi, ein kleiner Indianer." That's right- a book about American Indians. Auf Deutsch... :D
I haven't talked to Esther and Frank about how they deal with bad behavior yet, so I'm not comfortable stepping in. I feel bad, like I should be doing something... but it's a bad idea for me to try and step in if I don't know what the kids are used to. I know how I am used to handling situations, but kids need consistancy and I need to respect how the parents are raising their kids. Esther said I would have to wait until Frank returns on Sunday (since she feels his English is better and it will be easier for me to understand). I just feel bad sitting back while she deals with screaming kiddos.
I'm exhausted, so ich werde jetzt ins Bett gehen.
Gute Nacht und LG,
~Julia~
Today Sara and Simon each had a friend over, Finia and Alexander. Sara and Simon play well together, but when two other kids entered the mix, I saw Sara's older sister dominance start to come out - along with Simon's little brother whining. I mean, it isn't that either of them were brats, not by any means. It was just very typical sibling behavior. Although, I had forgotten that when kids are this young, they are not yet embarrassed to make a fuss in front of company. And their friends may have felt awkward, but I'm pretty sure they mostly just entertained themselves in the meantime.
When Esther went to take the kids out of the bath this evening, Simon FREAKED. OUT. I mean, full out screamed for NO LESS than 15 minutes. Honestly. After a few minutes, I went to see what was wrong and apparently he just wanted to play in the water. That's it. He screamed at the top of his lungs because he wanted to be in the tub. Aren't there kids who hate baths? And yet this kid can't get enough. After I stood there for a few minutes, I took Sara to their room and began to read her a book called "Geromi, ein kleiner Indianer." That's right- a book about American Indians. Auf Deutsch... :D
I haven't talked to Esther and Frank about how they deal with bad behavior yet, so I'm not comfortable stepping in. I feel bad, like I should be doing something... but it's a bad idea for me to try and step in if I don't know what the kids are used to. I know how I am used to handling situations, but kids need consistancy and I need to respect how the parents are raising their kids. Esther said I would have to wait until Frank returns on Sunday (since she feels his English is better and it will be easier for me to understand). I just feel bad sitting back while she deals with screaming kiddos.
I'm exhausted, so ich werde jetzt ins Bett gehen.
Gute Nacht und LG,
~Julia~
Thursday, July 9, 2009
hey look, a blog!
Hello, loved ones!
So, a blog seemed like a good idea :) This way I can share all of my delightful happenings at once (instead of many times to many people) and we can stay in touch while I'm in Deutschland!
I left Boise on Tuesday, and the day was... stressful. After putting off packing until the night before, and then realizing that I didn't have big enough suitcases (even after going to purchase a carry on at Kohl's), and then being late to the airport, and then having a brief (although intensely stressful) setback at the airport and giving a three second goodbye to eight loved ones, and after three flights plus three trains, I arrived in Oldenburg!! I was pretty stressed out and un-optimistic when I arrived in Frankfurt, but the moment I met the family all of my anxieties were eased and I knew everything was going to be okay.
My room is small, but lovely. I have more junk than they have comfortable closet space, but I made it work :) When I arrived, there were a few special items from the family: first, a picture of the four of them (Frank, Esther, Sara und Simon) over my desk, a HUGE sunflower, fancy chocolate (!), and a heart-shaped balloon. The picture is beautiful and is just so loving and thoughtful. Each of them is holding a sign with one word, reading "Herzlich Willkommen liebe Julia!" which, in essence, says "A heart-felt welcome, dear Julia." I will treasure this picture truly for the rest of my life.
Even though I have been gone for more than three days (I think), tonight is only my second night here, so I have mainly experienced meals. Breakfast (frühstück) and dinner (Abendessen) are very similiar, consisting mainly of bread (brot), cheese (käse), and meats (fleish) such as salami, chicken, and turkey. I have never been a very adventurous eater, so the cheese is a stretch. Cheddar is NOT standard cheese here- instead, they have brie and two kinds of gouda... plus another one I don't remember. I've had brie before, but never much cared for it. As it turns out, it is the cheese that I am most able to currently tolerate. I guess if I'm going to do a lot of growing while I'm here, it may as well be in my culinary horizens, as well. Today for lunch (Mittagessen), Esther and Simon made pizza- sounds basic, right? Well this pizza had a layer of ground beef (covered in pesto?) on top of the sauce, followed by cut of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower! Then they sprinkled some shredded (gouda) cheese on top. Wow. In Germany (and perhaps Europe?), the lunch is the more formal, hot meal while dinner is a casual round of bread, cheese, and meat. It's kind of nice to have a relaxed evening meal. Oh, and to drink we had apple (apfel) tea which the kids also drank and was delicious! Fun!
I did have had two little bumps thus far. Last night, I went to plug in my iHome which caused the power in the top two floors to go out. Thankfully Simon started crying around 6 (not that I heard him, even though he's across the hall) so Frank awoke to him, realized the power was off, and was able to set Esther's cell phone to wake him up. He went to Hamburg this morning for work and will be there through Sunday... so it was kind of important to get up :) Apparently my stupid iHome has 1400mA, which my dad explained and I still don't really get. Moral of the story: too much to handle. BUMMER.
Second bump: I haven't ridden a bike in a decade. This has mainly been a result of an embarrassing childhood experience, which led to my general lack of interest in bicycles (as opposed to a phobia curable only via extensive therapy). I knew I was going to ride a bike here, so that wasn't the problem. When Esther said the kids were going to a friend's to play, I said I would come with. Herein lies the problem- the seat on the bicycle is too high. And no, I don't mean it needs to be adjusted down and then I'll be good to go. Frank's bicycle had a bar too high for me to reach my leg over, but their spare bike requires one to peddle while standing up before being high enough to seat yourself. So you have to be able to stablize yourself before sitting. Um, yeah... that didn't work out. I'm not sure how this will be resolved, but it will have to be one way or another... so pray that I am able to conquer my now growing fear of bicycling.
Other than that, so far so good. I feel like my German is awful, but Frank and Esther (and two neighbors I met) insist that I am doing well and that I just need to give myself time. Even today was fine, but there are just so many words I don't know, including ever-useful prepositions.
In terms of prayer requests, I have three:
-Please pray that I will pick up the language quickly so that I won't have to pay for language courses. They have made an appointment for me on August 17th where I will take some sort of test to determine my abilities and which course I should enroll in. By that time, I will be able to tell if a course (of any kind or level) will be necessary... and it would be great if it isn't!!
-That everything with my Visa will work out! Next month I will have an interview with someone to see how my German is (they require I have at least a basic understanding of the language, which I do). I'm not at all worried about this interview, since I know a suitable amount of German. However, it is an important step in the Visa process... so pray that EVERY step goes well!
-For my time here in general, so that I can make the most of this God-given time and really enjoy this wonderful family and this country!
Liebe Grüße,
~Julia~
So, a blog seemed like a good idea :) This way I can share all of my delightful happenings at once (instead of many times to many people) and we can stay in touch while I'm in Deutschland!
I left Boise on Tuesday, and the day was... stressful. After putting off packing until the night before, and then realizing that I didn't have big enough suitcases (even after going to purchase a carry on at Kohl's), and then being late to the airport, and then having a brief (although intensely stressful) setback at the airport and giving a three second goodbye to eight loved ones, and after three flights plus three trains, I arrived in Oldenburg!! I was pretty stressed out and un-optimistic when I arrived in Frankfurt, but the moment I met the family all of my anxieties were eased and I knew everything was going to be okay.
My room is small, but lovely. I have more junk than they have comfortable closet space, but I made it work :) When I arrived, there were a few special items from the family: first, a picture of the four of them (Frank, Esther, Sara und Simon) over my desk, a HUGE sunflower, fancy chocolate (!), and a heart-shaped balloon. The picture is beautiful and is just so loving and thoughtful. Each of them is holding a sign with one word, reading "Herzlich Willkommen liebe Julia!" which, in essence, says "A heart-felt welcome, dear Julia." I will treasure this picture truly for the rest of my life.
Even though I have been gone for more than three days (I think), tonight is only my second night here, so I have mainly experienced meals. Breakfast (frühstück) and dinner (Abendessen) are very similiar, consisting mainly of bread (brot), cheese (käse), and meats (fleish) such as salami, chicken, and turkey. I have never been a very adventurous eater, so the cheese is a stretch. Cheddar is NOT standard cheese here- instead, they have brie and two kinds of gouda... plus another one I don't remember. I've had brie before, but never much cared for it. As it turns out, it is the cheese that I am most able to currently tolerate. I guess if I'm going to do a lot of growing while I'm here, it may as well be in my culinary horizens, as well. Today for lunch (Mittagessen), Esther and Simon made pizza- sounds basic, right? Well this pizza had a layer of ground beef (covered in pesto?) on top of the sauce, followed by cut of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower! Then they sprinkled some shredded (gouda) cheese on top. Wow. In Germany (and perhaps Europe?), the lunch is the more formal, hot meal while dinner is a casual round of bread, cheese, and meat. It's kind of nice to have a relaxed evening meal. Oh, and to drink we had apple (apfel) tea which the kids also drank and was delicious! Fun!
I did have had two little bumps thus far. Last night, I went to plug in my iHome which caused the power in the top two floors to go out. Thankfully Simon started crying around 6 (not that I heard him, even though he's across the hall) so Frank awoke to him, realized the power was off, and was able to set Esther's cell phone to wake him up. He went to Hamburg this morning for work and will be there through Sunday... so it was kind of important to get up :) Apparently my stupid iHome has 1400mA, which my dad explained and I still don't really get. Moral of the story: too much to handle. BUMMER.
Second bump: I haven't ridden a bike in a decade. This has mainly been a result of an embarrassing childhood experience, which led to my general lack of interest in bicycles (as opposed to a phobia curable only via extensive therapy). I knew I was going to ride a bike here, so that wasn't the problem. When Esther said the kids were going to a friend's to play, I said I would come with. Herein lies the problem- the seat on the bicycle is too high. And no, I don't mean it needs to be adjusted down and then I'll be good to go. Frank's bicycle had a bar too high for me to reach my leg over, but their spare bike requires one to peddle while standing up before being high enough to seat yourself. So you have to be able to stablize yourself before sitting. Um, yeah... that didn't work out. I'm not sure how this will be resolved, but it will have to be one way or another... so pray that I am able to conquer my now growing fear of bicycling.
Other than that, so far so good. I feel like my German is awful, but Frank and Esther (and two neighbors I met) insist that I am doing well and that I just need to give myself time. Even today was fine, but there are just so many words I don't know, including ever-useful prepositions.
In terms of prayer requests, I have three:
-Please pray that I will pick up the language quickly so that I won't have to pay for language courses. They have made an appointment for me on August 17th where I will take some sort of test to determine my abilities and which course I should enroll in. By that time, I will be able to tell if a course (of any kind or level) will be necessary... and it would be great if it isn't!!
-That everything with my Visa will work out! Next month I will have an interview with someone to see how my German is (they require I have at least a basic understanding of the language, which I do). I'm not at all worried about this interview, since I know a suitable amount of German. However, it is an important step in the Visa process... so pray that EVERY step goes well!
-For my time here in general, so that I can make the most of this God-given time and really enjoy this wonderful family and this country!
Liebe Grüße,
~Julia~
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